Records

Ave.

Ave.

0-0

Top 16

0-0

3-4

Regular Season

5-2

3-4

Overall

5-2

Referees

Crew Chief

JOVCIC, MILIVOJE, Serbia

Referee

FOUFIS, IOANNIS, Greece

Umpire

PASTUSIAK, PIOTR, Poland

The Take

Madrid visits Nizhny Novgorod for the first time ever and will qualify to the Top 16 with a win. Rudy Fernandez is back in action and ready to help Jaycee Carroll, K.C. Rivers and Jonas Maciulis at the wings. Fernandez faces a tough matchup against a great on-the-ball defender in Tarence Kinsey. Maciulis and Rivers must be ready to play aggressive against Semen Antonov in a key matchup in this game. Nizhny relies on Taylor Rochestie and Dmitriy Khvostov to set the right game tempo and to prevent Madrid from running the floor like they did in the Spanish capital on their way to a 112-83 win. Sergio Llull and Sergio Rodriguez will try the opposite and lead Madrid to play its usual up-tempo, run-and-gun game. Trey Thompkins, Art Parakhouski and Maksim Krivosheev must box out against Madrid's many offensive rebounder, led by Felipe Reyes, Ioannis Bourousis and Andres Nocioni. Expect a hard-fought, intense showdown.

Tuesday, December 2, 2014

Euroleague.net

Game Notes

Nizhny Novgorod
Coach Bagatskis has used 10 different players in his starting lineups so far this season; Semen Antonov is the only player to have started every game.
Tarence Kinsey has recorded at least 1 steal in 20 consecutive Euroleague games.
Kinsey leads the Euroleague this season with 2.6 steals per game.
Taylor Rochestie was a teammate of Real Madrid forward Andres Nocioni during the 2012-13 season at Laboral Kutxa Vitoria.
Rochestie leads the Euroleague in scoring this season with 19.7 points per game.
Rochestie has scored in double figures and made at least 1 three-pointer in each of the last seven games.

Real Madrid
Salah Mejri leads the Euroleague in blocked shots on a per-minute basis with a prorated average of 4.4 blocks per 40 minutes.
Ioannis Bourousis needs 10 more rebounds to overtake David Andersen of Eurocup side ASVEL Lyon Villeurbanne for third place on the Euroleague’s career rebound charts. Bourousis has 1,136 career boards.
Bourousis has averaged 10 points, 6.7 rebounds, 2 blocks and a performance index rating of 16.3 on the road this season, but just 4.5 points, 4 rebounds, 0 blocks and a 4.3 index in Madrid.
Sergio Rodriguez needs 13 more assists to reach 500 for his Euroleague career. He will become the 16th player to achieve that distinction.
Rodriguez needs 2 more steals to reach the century mark for his Euroleague career.
Andres Nocioni has made at least 1 three-pointer in 14 straight Euroleague games.
Felipe Reyes is closing in on a dubious distinction; he needs 15 more fouls committed to overtake retired Panathinaikos big man Kostas Tsartsaris for the most fouls in competition history. Reyes enters this week’s game with 626 career fouls.
Rudy Fernandez has made at least 1 three-pointer in 19 of his last 20 Turkish Airlines Euroleague appearances.
Fernandez has made 12 straight free throws in Euroleague games.
Jaycee Carroll set a career high with 32 points against Nizhny Novgorod in Regular Season Round 3. He made 7 of 9 three-pointers for a career-high performance index rating of 37.
Carroll has made 11 consecutive free throws in Euroleague action.

Tuesday, December 2, 2014

Euroleague.net

Quotes Head Coaches

BAGATSKIS, AINARS

Nizhny Novgorod

"Real doesn't need any extra introduction: it's a great team. But I wasn't surprised to see them go down to Unics last week, and we're also aware of their weaknesses. We need to forget about their big names, and focus on our game. We'll also rely on our fan support."

LASO, PABLO

Real Madrid

"Our first objective is to achieve a pass to the Top 16. That is what's most important, and we'll try to accomplish it as soon as possible. Our group has shown itself to be difficult. Some teams have gotten better during the season, as in the case of Unics Kazan. Zalgiris has been solid since the start. Anadolu Efes is playing very well, and Nizhny Novgorod is the leader in the VTB League, also playing well. At home against Nizhny, we won relatively comfortably, but we know that to win there will be difficult. It's a team that has known how to adjust to injuries. In our first game with them, Kinsey didn't play. Now he's back and he's an important player on their perimeter. Rochestie is a big part of their game. Antonov is a big man who goes outside to shoot and is a threat like Thompkins. Nizhny has big guys and I have the sensation that, when you lead the VTB, you're doing something right. Following them this season, I notice that they know how to read the game, so I would expect the game on Thursday to have little to do with the first game against them."

Players

THOMPKINS, TREY

Nizhny Novgorod

"We became a better team compared to the first time we faced Real. It's another big test for us and it's good that we face it at home. We want to proceed to Top16 really bad and will do our best to get a win on Thursday."

RIVERS, K.C.

Real Madrid

"This is an important game for us. We need a victory to get into the Top 16 and that's what is most important at the moment. Our last game in the Spanish League against CAI Zaragoza was very good, we played well as a team, and that must be our starting point against Nizhny Novgorod. It will also be important to show the same defensive intensity we showed on Sunday. Against Nizhny, we have to be in the game from the first moment, start well and keep the pressure on our opponents during the whole game. We have to play better defense than we did against Unics Kazan, we must be better in that respect, communicate better between us and work together as a team."

Madrid returns to the Top 16 with high-scoring road win

In an outstanding run-and-gun showdown that went down to the wire, Real Madrid advanced to the Top 16 by edging Nizhny Novgorod 98-101 on the road in Group A on Thursday. Madrid improved to 6-2 and mathematically clinched a spot in the next stage, while Nizhny dropped to 3-5. Sergio Rodriguez led six Madrid scorers in double digits with 19 points. Andres Nocioni added 15 and 9 rebounds, Ioannis Bourousis had 13 points, Felipe Reyes scored 12, Rudy Fernandez 11 while Sergio Llull contributed 10 and tied his career-high with 9 assists. Taylor Rochestie had 22 points to lead Nizhny, but could not finish the game due to an injury. Tarence Kinsey added 20, Semen Antonov 16, Art Parakhouski 12 while Evgeny Baburin contributed 11 for the hosts, who led 83-80 with three minutes left. Madrid used a 0-8 run to get the lead for good, but Kinsey and an outstanding Antonov kept the hosts within 1 inside the final minute. Llull hit 6 free throws in the final 36 seconds and Reyes grabbed a key defensive rebound that sealed the outcome in the final seconds.

First quarter: Nizhny jumps out to early lead

Rochestie got Nizhny going with a running jumper and a layup by Art Parakhouski gave the hosts a 4-0 lead. Madrid missed three shots from downtown in the opening 70 seconds, but Andres Nocioni stepped up with a layup. Semen Antonov shined with a put-back basket, which Parakhouski followed with a layup for an 8-2 Nizhny edge. Parakhouski kept pacing the hosts with free throws that Rudy Fernandez bettered with a three-pointer. Tarence Kinsey and K.C. Rivers traded jumpers and a quick triple by Rochestie ignited the crowd at 15-7. Nocioni took over with back-to-back baskets. Rivers and Trey Thompkins exchanged shots from downtown before a layup by Salah Mejri got Madrid within 18-16. Thompkins nailed a wild catch-and-shoot three-pointer and a layup by Vladimir Ivlev created a 23-16 Nizhny advantage. Mejri made free throws and a steal and dunk by Sergio Llull kept Madrid within 23-20 after 10 minutes.

Second quarter: Run-and-gun basketball!

Jaycee Carroll sank a second-chance layup early in the quarter. Rochestie answered from downtown, but Nizhny started to miss open shots. Meanwhile, a three-pointer by Rodriguez kept Madrid within 26-25. Rochestie fed Levan Patsatsia for an easy basket, but Madrid kept powering the offensive glass through an outstanding Felipe Reyes. Rodriguez downed another triple and free throws by Carroll completed the visitors’ comeback at 28-30. Rodriguez found Mejri for a one-handed dunk and a layup by Reyes caused Nizhny to call timeout at 28-34. Evgeny Baburin stepped up with a three-point play and a big triple by Kinsey tied it at 34-34. Antonov capped a 9-0 run with a shot from downtown. Rodriguez scored in penetration, but a jump hook by Parakohuski kept Nizhny ahead, 39-36. Rochestie banked in a running shot before Rodriguez scored around the basket and Jonas Maciulis got Madrid within 41-39. After Baburin nailed a triple, a buzzer-beating basket by Rodriguez fixed the halftime score at 44-41.

Third quarter: Bourousis keeps Madrid close

Bourousis scored twice around the basket immediately after the break to give Madrid the lead, 44-45. Antonov downed a long baseline jumper and a free throw by Kinsey gave Nizhny a 47-45 edge. Kinsey found space for an uncontested three-pointer. Bourousis kept pacing Madrid with a second-chance layup, but another triple by Antonov boosted the hosts' lead to 53-47. Nocioni quickly answered from downtown and Fernandez wildly fed Bourousis for a three-point play to bring Madrid within 55-53. Nocioni accidentally scored in his own basket and a triple by Thompkins gave Nizhny fresh air at 60-53. After Bourousis free throws, Nocioni added a tip-in and a jumper by Fernandez made it a 1-point game. Kinsey buried a three-pointer and matched Bourousis's basket with foul shots. Mejri and Parakhouski hit foul shots. A jumper by Rochestie restored a 69-64 Nizhny lead. Nocioni and Llull kept Madrid within 69-68.

Fourth quarter: Down to the final seconds!

Free throws by Fernandez completed Madrid's comeback, 69-70, early in the quarter. A three-pointer by Rodriguez soon boosted the lead to 4. Baburin answered from downtown, but Carroll sank a one-handed floater in the lane and a free throw by Reyes gave Madrid a 72-76 edge. Rochestie struck from downtown, added a jumper and made free throws to put Nizhny back ahead 80-78. Kinsey split foul shots and Fernandez hit 2 free throws. Rochestie left the game due to injury. Kinsey downed more foul shots, but Rodriguez and Reyes restored an 83-84 Madrid edge with over three minutes left. Nocioni made free throws and had a critical block on Parakhouski and a fast break dunk by Fernandez made it 83-88. Khvostov hit an off-balance shot and a wild four-point play by Antonov kept Nizhny within 89-90. Rodriguez swished a five-meter jumper. Parakhouski dunked, but Reyes gave Madrid a 91-94 edge with 1:04 left. Rochestie returned to action to hit free throws and so did Llull for a 93-96 score. After Kinsey dunked, Llull made free throws and Madrid fouled Baburin with 11 seconds left. He made both attempts and Llull returned to the line with 3.6 seconds remaining. Llull sank both free throws. Kinsey drew a foul and intentioanlly missed his second attempt, but Reyes grabbed the rebound and sealed Madrid's win.

Head Coaches

BAGATSKIS, AINARS

Nizhny Novgorod

"We managed to surprise Real in the first half with some tactics, but we were not very disciplined on the offensive end. In the second half they came up with a better defense and it was difficult for us to keep up. It’s very tough to beat Madrid in a close ending because they have so much talent, and we lost Taylor [Rochestie] with an injury. But I think this time not the better team won, but the luckier one."

LASO, PABLO

Real Madrid

"I've got to give credit to the other team. Nizhny played a great game. They had a lot of threes. When we had five- and six-point advantages, they always came back with threes. So it was difficult for us to stay in the game, to focus, but we did it for 40 minutes in the end. Offensively, we moved the ball well and got a lot of open shots. I think it was a great game of basketball. We're happy to win it and to be in the Top 16. Right now, the title is far away to think about. We know it and we know how difficult it is to get there. We're looking to go as far as in the last years and to get it, but now we have to think step by step. We're still growing as a team. But we're happy that with two games left, we're already in the Top 16, something that we were looking for from the start of the season. Now we'll try to get the best place in our group and look forward to a great Top 16 for sure."

Players

KINSEY, TARENCE

Nizhny Novgorod

"We were executing our game plan in the first half and got into the lead. But Madrid played better defense after the big break. In the end they made all the free throws, so all the credit to them. It’s a disappointing loss because we played pretty well."

BOUROUSIS, IOANNIS

Real Madrid

"First of all, congratulations to all my teammates. For us, this was an important game to win. We have two more games, one in Italy, one in Madrid, that we have to win. We want to win this group. Today was a high-scoring game, but the point is to win it, and we did that."